Copps: DTV Not Done

A Q&A with Federal Communications Commission member Michael Copps. He oversaw the final months of the transition to digital television. Asked to sum up the entire transition he said: "A huge transition with significant impact on consumers that was not until the last moment adequately planned for or coordinated. [It was] a transition that led to problems that were largely predictable and one that we moved measurably forward from January to June to the benefit of many, many consumers. But it's not a closed book. It is ongoing. There are still problems out there, lessons to be learned and a document to write." Commissioner Copps said, "There has to be in any society a keen interest in making sure the media serve the public interest." And so, he is very interested in what happens as media companies migrate to the Internet. He also reiterates the "underpinnings of the public-interest standards" -- localism, competition and diversity.